


Oppressive Humidity

by CannibalKats



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 02:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4042879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannibalKats/pseuds/CannibalKats





	Oppressive Humidity

“Dread Wolf take you Alistair Theirin,” Nevaeh Mahariel cursed under her breath. The candle on her desk was guttering out and the one on the sill flickered dangerously. Being the Hero of Fereldan had been one thing; a title that carried little responsibility beyond smiling at strangers and being intimidating in council meetings. Even being Warden-Commander was tolerable.

But being an Arlessa? She stared at the stack of reports, and the scatter of paperwork, taxes, missives, petty requests and accusations; her eyes lingering on the ink and quill. _Dearest Anora,_ she composed in her mind. _Whose bright fucking idea was it to make a Dalish Mage run an Arling?_ She snorted. No she wouldn’t write Anora, she wouldn’t even put this on Alistair, curse him.

She knew this was Eamon’s work, a final attempt to remove her influence on the Monarchy. Fat lot of good it had done him though, she’d helped Anora find him a lovely, and permanent, diplomatic position far from the naive ears of Fereldan’s new King.

She pulled a drawer on her desk and grabbed a new candle. If they meant to leave for the Wending Woods the next day she was going to have to finish these recruitment reports for Weishaupt in the morning. It was already weeks past any excuses. She lit the fresh candle from the one on the sill and pushed it into soft wax of it fallen comrade on the desk.

Vigils Keep was sweltering in the way only late summer evenings can be on the coast. Just far enough from the port they got all the humidity and none of the breeze. She was already stripped to her tunic and breeches when she’d started on the conscription of Nathaniel Howe. By the time she’d finished the voluntary recruitment of the Dwarf Oghren she was down to an undershirt and her smalls.

 _Anders,_ she wrote. _Given name unknown¸_ a smile playing on her lips, she remembered him skirting the question. The playful way he’d managed to turn every enquiry she’d made into a joke or a flirt. He almost reminded her of Alistair, and yet he was nothing like her former lover. _Mage,_ she continued. _Rite of Conscription invoked. Apostate being returned to the circle, Templar escort killed by darkspawn during the raid on Vigils Keep._  
  
Knight-Commander Rylock accused him of murdering his captors and threatened tranquility. Anders is a talented healer and skilled mage, I assure the First Warden that without his aid we would not have routed the Darkspawn from the keep so easily. She paused, it was an exaggeration, had it been just her and Oghren, to say nothing of Mhairi, they would have gotten rid of the monsters with relative ease. Still something spurned her to advocate for the mage.

_Conscription witnessed by King Alistair of Fereldan, approved for whatever it’s worth. It is this warden’s opinion that Anders’ healing skills make him a valuable recruit regardless of his past. I would have recruited him even had I believed the knight-commander’s accusations._

Nevaeh looked at the words swiming on the page in front of her. Creators she was babbling in reports now. It was time to eat something and sleep for a few hours. She could finish the sad report of Mhairi’s joining during breakfast. She carefully stacked the pages so not to smudge the ink and placed them on top of the pile of warden reports.

She leaned heavy on her hands as the last lit candle finally flickered itself out. Palms pressed into her eyes she took a couple deep breaths and ended in a yawn. She wasn’t even 20 years old and yet she not only found herself commanding an army but running Arling.

For the first time in years she found herself wishing she’d been first. Keeper Marethari would have prepared her for leadership at the very least. She wouldn’t lie to herself anymore and pretend that even being keeper would have kept her from following Duncan to Ostagar had he still asked.

“Ungggh!” She groaned aggressively at the knock on her door.

“Oh!”

She’d glanced up just in time to see amber eyes peeking around the side of the door. “It’s ok,” she yawned. “It’s fine, come in. I only just finished...” she trailed off, realising he was watching her. The candle had gone out.

“Did you know,” Anders started, one corner of his mouth turning up in a smug smile.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered fumbling with the drawer she kept the candles in. “My eyes glow. It’s an elf thing, I’ll light a candle.” With a triumphant noise she forced the candle into the holder on the sill and struck flint to light it.

“Oh I know about elf eyes,” he said, smiling widely now. “We had a few at the circle and I’ve met a few on the run. I meant that,” He paused seemingly lost for words while he watched her lean against the side of her desk. “It’s just that you’re standing here in your underthings.” He laughed.

“Fuck.” She glanced about for her breeches and then shrugged. “It’s oppressively humid in this room,” she gave up, he’d already seen her, and she’d never get them back on sweaty as she was. “How are you wearing so many layers?” She gestured to his circle robes, remembering the elaborate layers of cloth and ties.

He shrugged, “I can take it off, if you’ll be more comfortable.” His tone was aloof, but beneath the raised eyebrows and smug smirk there was something there, a challenge almost.

She didn’t stop him when he undid the clasp of his mantle, or when he worked the whole loosened robe up and over his head. They had been flirting since he’d survived the joining and she wouldn’t lie to herself that she was a little curious about what lay under the robe.

It was thin cotton leggings.

“Did you need something Anders? Was it a nightmare?”

“Oh,” he said again eyes wide. He turned back to the door and disappeared into the hallway briefly. He wasn’t gone for more than a few seconds returning with a stone bottle of ale and a tray of cheese and bread. “The horrible dwarf seemed surprised you weren’t in the hall this evening.” He blushed now.

“What else did Ohgren say?” _His life is in your hands_ , she added silently.

“He said when you were traveling together during the blight you usually ate before you went to bed, that’s all. So I thought you must not have gone yet, to bed I mean.” He smiled and put the food and drink on her desk.

“Thanks,” she said not meeting his eyes.

“I guess he probably knows you pretty well.”

She shrugged. Creators why was she so nervous all of a sudden? She pulled the stopper out of the bottle and took a long drink.

“Commander?” Anders was smiling at her.

She offered him the bottle and he took it, matching her drink.

“Thanks, but it’s just.” He stopped and watched her pop a piece of cheese in her mouth.

“Mmm?”

“You’re staring.”

She swallowed. Her face was hot, Mythal smite her she was blushing.

“It’s, well it’s sort of cute.” He chuckled stepping closer to her.

She started. She hadn’t thought- well she had, but not truly considered. He was right in front of her now, and she watched one corner of his mouth turn into a smile, eyes wandering down to the compact muscles of his chest and the fine hair of his belly trailing beneath the cotton waist of his pants.

“Uhhh,” she let out a confused noise. It felt like ages since she’d last been with Isabela in Denirim, an eternity since Alistair. How would it be with a man who so obviously knew what he was doing?

Anders stepped back. “I’m sorry.”

She caught his hand and pulled him forward, one hand tangling in his hair as their lips met. She sighed against his mouth as his hand explored the skin beneath her thin undershirt. The cool palms of a healer raising goose pimples as they traveled across her back. Amber eyes met cold blue as their lips parted.

“Shit,” there was a knock on the door.

“Is this against the rules,” Anders was laughing.

“Shhhh,” but she was laughing too. “hide.”

Anders snorted. “What behind the door?”

“Eh Warden,” Oghren grunted from behind the heavy door.

She gestured widely at the other mage. He chuckled and gathered up his robe from the floor and slipped behind the opening door.

Oghren raised a heavy eyebrow at her. “I told you already, I ain’t inta humans,” he snorted.

“It’s hot ok?”

“I’ll give you that,” he agreed. “The squirrely mage never came back, he bring you food?”

“Yep.”

Oghren belched and shrugged. “Good.”

The door was barely shut before Anders started laughing, he had his robe back on and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We should explore that further sometime, Love.”

She blushed. “Yeah, we definitely should.”

 


End file.
